Egg separator



K. TANIGUCHI EGG SEPARATOR Feb. 7, 1933.

1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Feb. 18,

guna/nto@ /H um f5 Feb. 7, 1933. K TAMGUCHl 1,896,498

EGG SEPAHATOR Filed Feb. 18, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 7, 1933 VEuer sErAnATorc Application led February 18,*193'1. Serial No.516`,733.

i Y vfThis. invention. relates to egg separators.

It is an object of this' invention to provide ai new and improved device which will separate the yoll: from the White of an egg,V

efficientlyy and. promptly..

It is a further object to.` providea device of the `character' described which willeffect the separation as a continuous process so that-when desired a number of eggs may be handled efficiently.

It is a` furtherv object tonprovideal device which will remove from the yolk the last remnants of the white without danger of breaking the:- yolk covering;

It is a further object to provide av device which will permit an inspection of the egg after* it has been broken before itis permit-v ted. to join the eggs previously opened', in order to permit the discardingv of any .egg which may Ynot be perfectly fresh. Y

It is.l a further object toprovide a device in which the yolk and the white lmay be discharged into separatey containersauto maticall'y. e, j.

Other` objects of the invention will in part be: obvious andwill in partv appear hereinafter. A

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts, which willhe exemplified in thev construct-ion hereinafter set forth and the scope. ofthe application of which will be indicated in th claims..

For a. fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention reference should be had to the following detailed description taken: in connectienwith the accompanying drawings, in which:- Y

Figure 1- is an elevation of a device made in.l accordance with this invention, with the upper cup closed. Y

`Figure- 2 isa similar View', pa-rts being cut away more clearly to show the construction, the device being associated with" the containJ ers with which it is tobeused and the upper cupl being open. v I Y. l Figure 3 is a topl plan view and Figure 4 is a vertical section alo-ng the line 4 4 of Figuref; v r

rllhev device-Aas here embodied may com-Viprise genera-llygan inclined passageway down; which the egg may travel adjacent to avslot of` suiicientwidth toA permit the entrance of theY white'but too narrow tol permit:y the passage ef they yolk.,v This passageway may be made in.V helical form` for convenience, and f l maybe designed to retard the'passage of' the yolk along it ink order to the white to separate. Y

As here illustrated, the devicev comprises primarily a spider 10 adapted to.k embrace the upper edge of a container 121 fory receipt of the whites of the separated egg. Gent-rali,- ly disposed upon this spider.- isa. hollow column-12 upon the top of which rests an egg receiving cup 13. This cup. may be pro vided at its bottom with downward-lyfe-X'.- tending flanges 14 adapted to fit wi-thin. and

give time for adapted to rest .upon the topof the column.

Inthis mannerA the cup may beV removed' from the column, when desired, to affordeasyaccess to the interior thereof for cleaningl purposes, and., moreover, it may'y be rotated about theA axis of the column, for a, purpose to be described.vr Y

At one point in its outer wall adjacentvto the bottom of the cup, there may be provided an outlet 16to permit the egg tor run outY of the, cup. Some convenient meansv may be provided to permit thek inspection ofthe egg the dumping of the egg out' ofthe cup; in the event that it is spoiled, without permitting it to'- passt through the openingv 16. For this purpose, a closure means' may be provided eng-age the interior'of the top of the hollow 'to while stil-1' within the cup 18 and to permit 85 supported from vrany convenient portion of 99 the device. In smaller sizes. where it is pos.-

sible to lift the entire device to discard. a

spoiled egg, this: closure may take the form hereinv shown in which it is supported di.- rectly from the standard.- A gate 17'may' be carried by .the column'12 in position to close f the opening 16 when` in registry therewith, but it, will be clear that as the-cup is rotated, the opening 16 will pass out of registry with the gate to; permit thedi-scharge of the egg. i

. device has been selected.

Upon the exterior of the column 12 there is provided a generally helical pathway leading from the delivery point of the opening 16, as seen in Figure 2 to a yolk discharging spout 18, at the bottom, and the pitch and construction of this surface is such as to cause the egg to run slowly down it.

This helical surface may bear resemblance to a circular staircase having a series of steps 19 leading from the top to the bottom. These steps are inclined downwardly `toward the column so that as the egg passes slowly down the helical surface, it is caused to hug the column. The column itself is provided with a slot 20 at the inner edges of these steps and conforming to the shape of the steps. This slot is of sufficient width to permit the white to pass through it, to be discharged through the interior of the column into the container 11, but the Vslot is also sufficiently narrow to confine the yolk. In this manner as the egg descends, it rolls over and over about a horizontal axis because of its contact with the steps, and about a vertical axis because of its contact with the vertical column 12. In this manner, substantially every portion of the surface of the yolk is brought adjacent to the slot 20, to permit any White that may be adhering to it, to flow off. K- Each of the steps is designed to slant downwardly and backwardly toward the riser of the next step above and the steps are made progressively higher toward the bottom of the staircase. In this manner, the progress of the yolk down the staircase is retarded and this retarding effect is alteredas the yolk becomes more free from the white.

In the separation of eggs, one of the prominent factors is the tendency of the white to hang together, and in this separator that factor is used to assist in effecting the complete separation. It is preferable to make the slot- 2O a continuous one from top to botv tom since in this manner that portion of the.

white which has passed through the slot assists, by reason of its weight, in pulling the remainder of the whiteaway from the yolk.

A vertical radially-disposed brace preferably extends throughout the height of the column 12 in order to strengthen the device and to assist in holding the top portion of the column above the slot, in its proper relation tothe bottom portion and to the spider, and this brace may have a central finger hole 26 to assist in lifting the device. Thisseparator may be made of any convenient material, such as glass or metal, and in some cases it may be desirable to provide additional members to assistin supportingk the top of the column and to-maintain the width of the slot, but such additional bracing is not here illustrated as its form'will be obvious, once the material for the construction of the `In operatingthe device,it will be clear vtial portions of this journey, the large volume of white present passes through the slot,

as shown at 20?), pulling itself away from the yolk. rIhis white 29v tends to cling together and ultimately to remove itself from the yolk 28lbefore the latter reaches the discharge spout 18. Thereafter, by reason of the fact Ythat the spout 18- is inclined outwardly, the

yolk moves toward the outer edge of the spout and is discharged into a container 28, situated for that purpose. v .c

In the operation of this device, it will be found that the eggs move gradually down the inclined surface, separating as they go and discharging themselves from the device so that any number of eggs in succession may be separated.

It will also be found that the separation is clean and without damage to the outer covering of the yolk. y

Since certain changes may be made in the above construct-ion and dierent vembodiments of the invention could be made without departing from vthe scope thereof, it is -intended that all matter contained in the above descriptionl or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the follow- .ing claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific featuresfof the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween. i

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is 'A r 1. A device of the character described including elements forming an inclined V- shaped groove having steps upon one side of said V and a slot at the bottom thereofvtoo narrow to permit the passage of the yolk, the steps upon said side increasing in height toward the bottom of the incline.

2. A device of the character described including a central hollow column having a substantially continuous helical Islot therein and means surrounding said slot for causing an egg to pass downwardly in contact with the I.

walls of said slot, said slot being too narrow to permit the passage of a yolk, whereby the white of an egg is discharged through said slot 4to the interior of the column.

3. A device of the character described comprising a hollow column, a substantially continuous spiral slot through the walls of said column and means to confine an egg-to cause it to pass along said slot in contact with the walls thereof.

4. A device of the character described comprising a hollow column, a substantially continuous spiral slot through the walls of said column and means to confine an egg -to cause it to pass along said slot in contact with the walls thereof, and a receiving cup positioned to discharge an egg adjacent to the upper portion of said slot.

5. A device of the character described including a central pillar, a helicoidal surface concentric with -said pillar, said device having a substantially continuous slot at the juncture of said surface and said pillar, said surface being inclined toward said pillar whereby an egg yolk is caused to travel down said surface adjacent to said pillar, and means adapted to retard the passage of the yolk down said surface.

6. A device of the character described including a central hollow column having a e5 substantially continuous stepped helical slot therein and means surrounding said slot for causing an egg to pass downwardly in contact with the walls of said slot, said slot being too narrow to permit the pa-ssage of a yolk,

whereby the white of an egg is discharged through said slot to the interior of the column.

7. A device of the character described comprising a hollow column, a spiral stepped slot through the walls of said column and means to confine an egg to cause it to pass along said slot in Contact with the walls thereof.

8. A device of the character described including a hollow column, a substantially con- =0 tinuous spiral slot through the walls of said column, a helical surface attached to said column substantially at -the lower edge of said slot and inclined inwardly toward said column, a receiving cup fitting upon the tgp ki5 of said column and having an opening discharging onto the upper end of said helical surface and means for closing said opening.

KYUSABURO TANIGUCHI. 

